NORMI - SS19 by Karen Norman

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PHOTOGRAPHER: GARY JORDAN HAIRSTYLIST: KERRY MOHAMMED, KOR SALON & SPA MAKE-UP ARTIST: ANALESE REDMAN MODEL: TANISHA LALLA FROM THE AWARD-WINNING COSTUME HOUSE, K2K ALLIANCE & PARTNERS

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ABOUT From the award-winning costuming company, K2K Alliance & Partners, comes NORMÌ, resort capsule pieces reimagined for every brand of beautiful. NORMÌ is committed to producing artfully crafted garments that provide an effortless yet glamorous statement for women. Mixing sensual with sophistication; and elegance with timeless, the capsules are intended to capture romanticism. At the end of the day, a woman wants to feel beautiful in her skin, and NORMÌ is made for every brand of beautiful

Why ESCAPE? I think ESCAPE

will mean something different to each individual. For some, it may mean finding time for oneself. To someone else, it may mean running away from something or everything. And to another, it may represent a journey to somewhere unfamiliar to discover something new. The truth is - ESCAPE, like many of our themes under the K2K Alliance & Partners platform, took root from a personal source - I sat in my apartment, watching the sun fade

over the Hudson River, the rapidly declining peach glow lighting up the sky as if Manhattan were smoldering. And as Manhattan burned, I thought of home. I remember a life from a distant past, echoes of waves crashing on Maracas beach, visions of frothy bubbles kissing the shore, and the taste of salt against my lips. But even as I tried to hold onto those memories, they blurred and bled like the slices of oranges and reds that bruised the Hudson River. And as I watched Manhattan burn, and the Hudson bleed, I thought, “Every now and then, don’t you just wish that you could ESCAPE” ESCAPE (to me) means, experiencing a sense of peace. The wardrobe pieces therefore are crafted to enhance that sense freedom. The garments mix elegance with comfort, and the refined with easy. --There is something to be said when a woman can mix modern edge with oldfashioned glamor. NORMÌ, Where timeless elegance never looses its magic

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A N O T H E R D AY I N PA R A D I S E What if you could escape to that p l a c e , a l l d a y, e v e r y d a y ? Wo u l d y o u ? Dear Paradise, Do you ever reminisce on the time we spent in heaven? I’ve been doing that a lot of late. I remember the way the sun’s ochre flexes rained down on the ocean, its colors picked up even more gloriously by the slow-moving waves on the water, images of yellow, orange smoldering and melting into one another like molten lava. It was six in the morning, the day we discovered heaven. Do you remember? Nothing stirring other than a white winged bird gliding over that large expanse of water, his narrow back glistening in the morning light, his wing tips dancing with the surface of the water. We stood on the edge of the beach, our toes buried in the cool soft sand with the breeze caressing our skin. The wind felt like a lovers touch, its tendrils combing through my hair, then yours. It teased my garment and then yours, until they too danced with the wind, the softness of the fabric sweeping against our skin like a cloud. Dear P., I wish that all mornings, all evenings, all days, were like this. Heavenly.

---Every woman deserves to feel beautiful in her skin. She deservers to feel free. Cherished. NORMÌ is elegance, romanticism, and timeless luxury all wrapped up in one experience. Discover NORMÌ and lose yourself in paradise.

Yours. Always. a m r n No

TWIN

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T I M E L E S S

G L A M O R

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THE ART OF ROMANCE Mystery & Magic

The air was warm. She stepped out of the shower, her toes curling into the plush bathroom mat, pebbles of water beading on her damp skin, forcing goose bumps to spring to life. She grabbed for the towel and knotted it above her breast. She was nervous, like a teenage girl on her first date, sweaty palmed, dry mouthed, butterfly-anxious. Nervous. She passed her hands over the mirror, clearing the white fog that permeated through the air and stuck on the glass in front of her. Peering at her reflection, she thought of the time when she first met him. She was sixteen and shy, and he was …He just w a s : v i b r a n t ; h e a r t b re a k i n g l y magnificently beyond her reach. She dropped her towel, peering at the less than perking breast; the less than flat stomach; the too full thighs; the package that was now less than perfect. She sighed, covering up her new norm and pulled her hair into a tight high chignon, keeping her delicate features on display. “Smokey eyes, mild blush and a nude lip,” she said to the four walls, as she applied her make-up with quick precision. Padding out of the bath, she regarded the full moon from her

bedroom window, fascinated by its never aging splendor. “You’re here tonight to watch an old lady get dressed-up, my friend,” she said to the moon. The moon glowed, but gave no reply. Shifting her gaze, she looked at the gown lying on the white plush sheets, its colors radiating from the plain canvas like the sunset over the Hudson River; the silky chiffon spilling over mahogany floorboards, like waves kissing the shore. Slipping it on, she turned, watching herself in the mirror, the soft silky feel of the chiffon, making her feel sexy in her skin; The floor length style making her feel magically glamorous. She smiled, grabbed her shoes and headed down the stairs. As she reached floor level, their eyes met and held. His eyes were soft and gentle, her heart on the other hand, fluttered like butterfly’s wings. As her palms reached for familiar hands, its largeness providing a sense of security, he pulled her close, his hands caressing her waist, his lips nuzzling her ear, “You are devastatingly beautiful,” he whispered. ---NORMÌ, where beauty never fades

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R O M A N C I N G

T H E

S E A S O N

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T H E S TAT E M E N T P I E C E It’s who you are

She tilted her head towards the sky and looked towards the myriad of stars twinkling above, thinking, she would never want to leave this place. The way the lights reflected on the sluggish water, the way the boats intermittently sailed by disturbing the placid water, the way the wind caressed her cheeks, stroking it, lulling her into a sense of calm, as she stood on the terrace. It was magical. Yes, everything about this place set her mind at ease. She wrapped her hands around her shoulders, loving the way the chiffon felt to the touch. Silky. Soft. Seductive. Her gown kissed the floor and tickled her toes as she moved side to side, the lining of the dress wrapping around her curves, making her feel sexy in her skin. Yes, this dress and this place was perfect. The door to the terrace slid apart and he stepped outside. He was a magnificent man, from his six foot three height, to his angular features and tanned skin. The suite he wore was no less exquisite, a single buttoned tailored cut masterpiece, which he wore like a second skin.

Sure, the dress was exquiisite, beautifully forgiving with its yards-on-yards of fabric... The print was dramatic and bold. Eye-catching, even. However, it wasn’t what men thought of as sexy. “You must be blind,” she answered. He paused, his stare slow and deliberate. He regarded her from the toes peeping at the hemline, to the way the wind tossed the gown, giving a slight impression of the curvy figure she hid beneath the dress. “Blind? ”he asked, approaching her slowly, like a predator eying his prey. “You don’t get it do you?” She watched him, as he watched her Her heart beat a rapid tattoo as he drew nearer and nearer. Then nearer yet. As his hands, cupped her face and titled her head towards his, he removed a wisp of hair, placing it behind her ears, “This gown is you. Sophisticated. Timeless. Elegant. Stunning. It is radiants because it personifies you. You are as you will always be, beautiful to me.” --NORMÌ, Making your beauty radiate from within

“You are beautiful,” he said, as he watched her against the dimlight.

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T H E

M O D E R N

T R A D I T I O N A L I S T

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B E C A U S E E V E R Y N O W & T H E N Y O U J U S T N E E D T O E S C A P E

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E X Q U I S I T E IS AN EVERDAY AFFAIR

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F O R E V E R Y B R A N D O F B E A U T I F U L Because every woman wants to feel beautiful in her skin

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REDISCOVERING JASPER Magic in the moment

His searching stopped when his gaze fell on the woman sashaying across the room. She moved like some ethereal creature, gliding in that Jasper colored dress. Her thick black hair tumbled over her shoulders, her dark eyes glittering with an emotion he couldn’t place: Anticipation? Concern? She was breathtaking, in that oneshouldered red gown, the gown’s silhouette accentuating her collarbone, the elegance of her neck, and her deep red lipstick “Sorry I’m late,” she said as she gracefully sat at the table. He nodded. But before he could say a word, she started explaining the problems of the day. He eyed her, watching her purse those burgundy lips, watching her chest rise and fall beneath that dress. And then he felt his heart rate accelerate. Closing his eyes, he placed this devastatingly beautiful woman to memory. She watched the man seated in front of her, his wisp of grey’s giving him that Mc Steamy allure, the black tailored sports jacket matched with a

simple black V-neck giving him a GQ appeal and of course, his good looks: the chiseled jawline, the dark brows, full bottom lip, and the over all good features that had not faded over time. She stopped speaking, when she realized that he had closed his eyes though. Okay, this was the first time that she had ever bored a man to the point where he snoozed in front of her. “Am I boring you?” she asked, her embarrassment quickly turning to anger as she regarded the man I front of her. Why did she even bother to dress up for this man? She thought. Not at all, he mused, opening his eyes, to be met by a disappointed stare. The woman’s voice was gentle, a sort of a singsong to his ears. A lullaby. Originally he had closed his eyes because the w o m a n i n f ro n t o f h i m w a s s o mesmerizing to look at. Honestly, mentally undressing her, in a crowded restaurant, as she spoke, was a thing for an eighteen year-old boy, and he was thirty years older than eighteen. But what did you know? There was added benefit to the darkness behind his lids. It allowed him to be held by the rhapsody that Trinidadian accent and the scent of her perfume - Both adding to the beauty that sat in front of him.

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REDISCOVERING JASPER Magic in the moment

He and his wife had been married for twenty-five years. Twenty-five years of fights. Twenty-five years of make ups. Twenty-five years of speed bumps crossed together. “No hun,” he said, “In all of our twenty-five years, you’ve never bored me. And if I dare say, tonight, you look breathtaking in Jasper.” His wife eyed him, and then looked through him, as if accessing him for a lie, her gaze holding him in place. He looked at her, seeing the years they shared together. “You are, and have always been, my kind of beautiful”

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THE BALANCING ACT

Sexy is more than a look - It’s a Feeling As she eyed the vast expanse of water from her apartment window, she focused on the little flecks of white splicing through the liquid sunset, her anxiety slicing through her like the sharp rays of light on that water.

the wooden door eased forward, his breathe caught, robbing him of words. Logic. She was a vision. Her hair was swept in a graceful twist, exaggerating her long neck and smoky eyes with a glossy lip accentuating her beautiful features.

She didn’t do the traditional sexy statement. She did… her. Easy. Breezy. Sophistication.

“I just need to get my purse,” she said, her uneasiness evident by the lack of eye contact. But before he had a chance to react, she turned, and retreated to a side room.

Squinting into the fading light, she exhaled, and closed her eyes, placing her hands on the glass, the warmth on her skin, making her think of him. Being with him was like caressing the sun, embracing an all consuming heat, yet surviving the scorch. It was magical. But magic was for children, and she had long past high school. The door bell rang, jolting her heart into her throat, bringing reality back into focus. She opened her eyes and turned to the door, her reflection from the near-by mirror, slamming into her like a freight train. Geese! She should have never agreed to this date, she thought. Walking to the door, she placed her hands on the knob and opened it. # He was nervous, like a high school boy anxious to score his first kiss. As

He waited. He cracked his knuckles, his anxiety rising with every baited breath As she re-entered the foyer, he quickly realized that her exit was the best gift, providing him with luxury of watching her glide to the door unhampered. She wore a long, cascading, gown-like-top, with trousers. Resplendent, he thought. Her timeless yet modern sense of style was something that called to his sense of tradition. As she reached to the door, he placed her hands in his saying, “You are, devastatingly exquisite to me.” --There is something to be said when a woman can mix modern edge with oldfashioned glamor. NORMÌ, Where timeless elegance never looses its magic

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BECAUSE EVERY NOW & THEN, YOU JUST NEED TO

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